1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to animal or game feeders. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in automated and remotely controlled animal or game feeders.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Animal feeders for both domestic and wild animals have existed for decades if not centuries. Their use in wildlife and game management is a more recent trend. As attention to conservation of natural resources grows, animal or game feeders are an increasingly important element in wildlife management.
Used properly, such feeders can maintain an animal population and keep game adequately fed and therefore content to remain on property for harvesting at an appropriate time. Because they are often placed in remote locations, minimal maintenance and upkeep is at a premium and the ability or capacity for remote control is ideal.
U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0088625 to Nowacek describes a game or animal feeder that is wirelessly controlled. One purported advantage of the feeder design is that animal feed is placed in the feeder from ground level and an auger arrangement is employed to raise it to feeding level. Gravity feed has been found to be more consistently reliable than designs that rely on augers and similar devices to move feed against gravity.
Nowacek also discloses wireless remote control of various feeder functions. However, it discloses only use of conventional wireless and cellular communication technologies, which requires the feeder to be within communication range of a cellular base station and antenna or a wireless network access point. It is frequently not practical to place a wildlife or game feeder in such a location.
A need exists for practical, reliable game and animal feeders that can be remotely controlled in a wide variety of locations without regard to proximity to communications infrastructure.